Sadly, there’s no magic lure that entices trout all the time. What I’ve found is that the best lure for trout depends on where you’re fishing, when you’re fishing, and what food source trout are targeting. In other words, a situational decision.
Happily, this means anglers have a built-in excuse to buy more lures. Savvy anglers carry a small arsenal of spinners, spoons, crankbaits and flies to catch trout in all conditions on rivers and lakes. Here’s what I keep stocked in the tackle box.
Best Trout Lures: Our Top Picks
- Sunny day spinner: Panther Martin Classic
- Low light spinner: Mepps Black Fury
- Best casting spoon: Acme Kastmaster Spoon
- Best bait for stocked trout: Berkley Power Bait
- Floating crankbait: Rapala Original Floating Minnow
- Best jerkbait: Rapala Husky Jerk
- Best fly: Tungsten Perdigon Nymph
Best Spinnerbaits for Trout
Panther Martin Classic
MSRP: $5.39
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Why I love it
Good vibrations. You can feel the Panther Martin Classic vibrating—and probably see your rod tip pulsating—as you reel it in. Unlike other small spinners, its shaft runs through the concave-shaped spinner blade, which whirs and flashes as you reel it in. When I fished small Pennsylvania streams, I tried several small spinners and typically caught more trout on the Panther Martin Classic.
For fifty years, many trout anglers have preferred that blade action over other inline spinners. Plus, Panther Martins can swim more erratically than most, which triggers strikes from several species of fish.
For sunny days, stick to Panther Martins with silver blades. Color-wise, go with the brand’s patterns that exploit the trout’s cannibalism: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Silver Regular (with spots that also mimic baby browns). For dark days, go with gold blades (or the next lure on this list). I carry both size 02 and 04.
Most days, the key to fishing in-line spinners is to fish them just fast enough to engage the spinner blade. I’ve caught most of my spinner trout in rivers and streams. You can work them by casting them into eddies and current breaks, or work them downstream just faster than the current. Another tactic is to slowly work them upstream to fight against the current, or swing to them across the current downstream.
However, they’re easier to fish in slack water. These days, I mostly cast Panther Martins in alpine lakes in Northern New Mexico.
Reasons to Buy
- Good vibrations
- Excellent flash
- Works well at a slow speed
- Great trout lure for both streams and lakes
Consider Another Model If
- You’re fishing hogs that bend the light wire shafts
- You’re fishing weedy waters (which foul up the blade)
Bottom Line
If you’re spinner fishing and the sun’s out, throw a Panther Martin with a sliver blade.
Mepps Black Fury
MSRP: $4.65
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Why I love it
If a silver Panther Martin Classic is the quintessential sunny day spinner, the Mepps Black Fury rules cloudy days and murky water. For trout, I carry them in sizes #1 and #2.
When it’s early morning, evening, cloudy, or overcast, I’ll cast the Mepps Black Fury. That black blade works wonders in low-light skies and low-visibility water. The dots—orange or yellow—add flashes of color that mimic a fish’s favorite forage. I like black and yellow best for trout.
Also, when I need to fish deeper, I’ll choose Mepps over Panther Martins. Their weight and blade profile get down a little easier. Another bonus is that the Black Fury is both an effective lake and stream lure.
Reasons to Buy
- Time-tested in-line spinner
- Multi-species killers also catch bass, crappie, etc.
Consider Another Model If
- The sun’s out
- You’re targeting neutral or turned-off fish
Bottom Line
If you need a time-tested spinner for murky water or overcast skies, the Mepps Black Fury is a hall of famer for a reason.
Best Spoon for Trout
Acme Kastmaster
MSRP: $4.49
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Why I love it
Spoons are the exotic dancers of the trout fishing world. They earn their keep by flashing and jiggling to tantalize trout. Of all the spoons I’ve casted, the Acme Kastmaster is the nastiest.
When I kept finding Kastmasters dangling from overhanging tree branches at some Pennsylvania blue ribbon trout streams, I started a collection in 1/12 oz and 1/8 oz sizes. Sure enough, their wobble and flash can be deadly on trout. Go chrome in the sunlight, and copper or gold for low-light trout fishing.
A slow and steady retrieve can be titillating, but I prefer a pause, pop, and reel rhythm. Cast them out, let them sink, give them a pop, reel in the slack, and repeat that cadence as you work them back to you.
Spinners may be more popular, but small casting spoons may be more effective in some situations. For starters, they cast farther, which helps you reach more fish. Plus, you don’t need to engage the current to activate a spinner blade, which makes the Acme Kastmaster easier to fish in a natural, downstream drift compared to a Panther Martin or Mepps.
Reasons to Buy
- Easier to cast than in-line trout spinners
- Also can be trolled behind a fishing kayak
Consider Another Model If
- You’re fishing snaggy water
Bottom Line
When it comes to spoons, the wobble and flash of the Acme Kastmaster is too seductive for trout to resist.
Best Bait for Stocked Trout
Berkley PowerBait
MSRP: $5.99
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Why I love it
Stocked trout grow up on pellet feed at the hatchery, so many anglers target these “pellet heads” with baits and lures that mimic those unnatural nuggets made with God-knows-what. Without a doubt, Berkley PowerBait is by far the most popular bait for stocked trout.
Berkley PowerBait is a dough bait that you can mold around your hook to mimic hatchery nuggets. The bait’s scent attracts stocked trout, and its texture encourages them to hold on to the lure longer before spitting the hook.
Pinch a pea-sized glob of PowerBait and form it into a ball around your hook. Or, you can also buy preformed PowerBait, too, such as Berkley PowerBait Trout Nuggets, Berkley Gulp Pinched Crawler, Berkley Mice Tails, and Trout Magnets.
Most anglers fish Berkley PowerBait on the bottom on a bait hook or treble hook that’s 1-2 feet behind a sinker. However, you can also fish it beneath a bobber.
I mostly fish for wild trout, but most of my local fishing reports call out Berkley PowerBait as the trout lure of choice in the stocked waters around me. When your local lake or stream is scheduled to get stocked with trout, you can bet that your local tackle shop will be selling out of Berkley PowerBait.
Reasons to Buy
- Effective on recently released hatchery trout
- Beginner-friendly bait that’s easy to fish
- You’re fishing for wild trout
Consider Another Model If
- You prefer more active presentations
- You’re a catch-and-release angler
Bottom Line
If you like to hit the pay ponds and stocked lakes and streams, start with Berkley Powerbait as your bait to land those hatchery-raised trout.
Best Floating Crank Bait for Trout
Rapala Original Floating Minnow
MSRP: $10.49
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Why I love it
Truth be told, I love it for nostalgic reasons. My Grandpa passed back in the 80s, and I still carry Floating Rapalas that he fished with out West. Of course, the Rapala Original Floating Minnow wouldn’t still be around if it didn’t catch fish. This legendary lure’s wobbly, wounded minnow action still works on trout and other species.
I recently rediscovered the magic of the Original Floating Minnow while trout fishing in Pennsylvania. After casting inline spinners down a deep run for thirty minutes with only a couple of 9-inch trout to show for it, I switched to a floating Rapala. On my first cast, a 20-inch trout moved more than twenty feet to hunt down that “wounded minnow.”
Similarly, when inline spinners weren’t working on the Clarion River, I switched to the Floating Minnow and immediately started catching Rainbow trout at the surface—where their strikes were fun to watch.
You can catch trout on the Rapala Floating Minnow with a slow and steady retrieve that gets the lure wobbling back and forth just under the surface. Sometimes, though, it’s better to twitch it or play with a twitch-and-pause pattern, which makes the lure look like a dying minnow.
However you work it, the effectiveness of the Rapala Original Floating Minnow has stood the test of time.
Reasons to Buy
- Moves big trout looking for a bigger meal
- Brings trout to the surface
- Fun to watch strikes
Consider Another Model If
- Trout are feeding down deep
- You can’t afford losing an expensive crankbait
Bottom Line
If you’re looking to catch trout on the surface (and don’t fish dry flies), the floating Rapala has been hooking trout for more than half a century.
Best Jerkbait for Trout
Rapala Husky Jerk
MSRP: $8.49
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Why I love it
Naturally buoyant, the Rapala Husky Jerk is a magical lure that works for many species, including trout.
It’s my favorite jerkbait for big trout because it doesn’t float to the surface when you’re not reeling it. It stays at depth, fluttering and flittering like a distressed minnow when you jerk it and let it sit. An easy meal.
On Pennsylvania’s Clarion River, Husky Jerks are a go-to lure for smallmouth and wild brown trout. You don’t know which species might slam it as you jerk it through a seam or slack water. I’ve also casted them in mountain lakes for all species of trout.
Plus, kayakers can troll Husky Jerks behind their boats on trout lakes. It’s a versatile jerk bait that just catches fish—and often the biggest fish in a given spot.
Reasons to Buy
- Perfect jerkbait for large trout
- Multispecies versatility
- Long casting distance
- Also can be trolled behind a fishing kayak
Consider Another Model If
- Consider another if
- You’re afraid of losing an expensive crankbait
Bottom Line
If you want to cast a crankbait for big brown trout, throw the Rapala Husky Jerk.
Best Fly for Trout
Tungsten Perdigon Nymph
MSRP: Varies
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Why I love it
Sure, it’s best to “match the hatch,” but that adage isn’t quite as crucial when you’re fishing nymphs underwater. One weighted fly stands out for sub-surface nymphing: the Tungsten Nymph.
As much as I love Hair’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, and Walt’s Worms, Tungsten Nymphs have an advantage over most weighted flies—they get down to the bottom quicker. For one thing, Tungsten beads are super dense, so they sink faster than traditional leaded beads. Plus, the Perdigon’s thin profile catches less water, speeding up your sink times.
When your flies hit the bottom almost instantly, you can fish more water with every drift. I’ve noticed that when I tuck cast Perdigons, I catch more fish at the top of my drift than I do with other nymphs.
They also stay down better than other flies in faster water. Those are two big advantages for nymphers, Euronymphers, and mono-riggers.
Most people picture dry flies when they hear the words “fly fishing.” However, trout do most of their feeding underwater—not on the surface. The Tungsten Perdigon is the perfect weighted fly to work the bottom of a riffle or run to catch trout camped out in feeding lanes.
Reasons to Buy
- Gets down quicker than other nymph flies
- Fishes more water with each drift
- Travels deeper in faster water than most flies
- Mimics many aquatic insects and small invertebrates
Consider Another Model If
- You’re fishing lakes and slack water
- Trout are keyed in on bugs with bigger profiles
Bottom Line
If you fish weighted flies with a conventional fly rod, Euro-nymphing set up, or mono-rig system, the Tungsten Nymph should feature prominently in your fly box to maximize every downstream drift.
Trout Lure Buying Advice
Trout can be frenetic or finicky feeders. That’s why it’s a sound strategy to carry a range of trout lures to cover a range of waters and feeding conditions.
Spinners, spoons, and jerk baits are good bets for aggressive fish. Berkley Powerbait almost has the market cornered as the artificial bait of choice for stocked trout in lakes and ponds. If you’re drifting small weighted flies down ripples, runs, and seams, the Tungsten Perdigon produces pretty consistently.
Whenever possible, the best play is to match the forage that fish are targeting at a particular time:
- Small spinners and spoons mimic minnows.
- The Original Floating Rapala and Rapala Husky Jerk imitate much larger minnows, which may lure strikes from much bigger and territorial trout.
- Stocked trout eventually transition to more natural feeding patterns, but they’ll initially prefer dough baits that resemble the pellets that hatcheries fed them in captivity.
- Weighted nymph flies, such as the Perigon, present much like the larval, nymph-stage insects that trout opportunistically feed upon as they emerge to the surface or get washed downstream by the current.
- Overall, keeping a small selection of the artificial lures mentioned here in your trout tackle gives you solid options to catch wild and stocked trout in a wide range of waters.
Best Trout Lure Brands
Why Trust Us
A regular contributor to Kayak Angler, Jory Brass has spent most of his fishing time the past five years focused on trout. He’s stalked several of Central Pennsylvania’s signature trout streams with a spinning rod and a fly rod, and he now chases trout in the small streams and alpine lakes of Northern New Mexico. He personally carried each of these trout lures in his tackle box—okay, tackle boxes—for his top 10 and top 5 finishes in the fishing category of the Backcountry Summer Adventure Challenge in 2022 and 2023.
Feature Image: Jory Brass
